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A Saudi woman says she had repaired nearly 48,000 mobile phones in just one year following the launching of maintenance services as the first women-only phone repair centre in the conservative oil-rich Gulf Kingdom.

Mariam Al Subaei said she provides mobile phone repair and maintenance services at her centre in the capital Riyadh only for women and that she receives between 90 and 120 handsets for servicing every day.

“I began personally nine years ago and trained myself on such services.I wanted to help our women and prevent the others from blackmailing them. I now have a centre for servicing all types of mobiles and laptops,” she told ‘Sabq’ newspaper. My family encouraged and supported me and all my female customers were very helpful and encouraging. That is why I expanded and succeeded in this career.”

She said her centre, which is manned only by female technicians, serviced nearly 48,000 mobile phones in 2014 and expected the number to be higher this year.

“My dream now is to launch a national project for the maintenance and repairing of electronic devices that will serve women through the country,” she said